Madness Never Dies
by Felilla
Summary: It's been sixteen years since Arachnophobia and Asura were defeated and the world is at peace. But, when Nobel Holmes is sent on a top-secret mission with several other students, they discover that Arachnophobia has done everything but die and now, they are growing and plotting under the command of Scorpio. It soon clear Asura was only the beginning of what was coming. Post-manga
1. Prologue: Everything Has Changed

**This story falls under several categories:**

**Adventure, Romance, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Supernatural, Action, Family, Humor, Drama, etc. **

* * *

The wind brushed back her golden brown hair as she surveyed the crowd. She clenched the fabric of her crimson dress that she had bought for this very occasion: Partnering Day. She loathed the day more and more as it continued to approach and now it was here, mocking her. She had never fit in anywhere, it was probably just how she was. She had hoped that maybe it would be different here at the DWMA, a place where everyone was unique, but even at a place like this, she had no luck.

Her cheeks burned at the memory of the first day of school, when she had come in and tripped, landing on her face. The laughs from her fellow classmates had made her heart sink. So much for first impressions... "Miss Holmes?"

She looked up at the teacher, who returned her gaze expectantly. With a small sigh, she pushed herself off the chair and walked up to the podium. She squared her shoulders, watching the crowd with feigned confidence. "My name is Nobel Holmes and I am a Meister," she scanned the crowd of other students and tried to meet each pair of eyes. Finally, her own eyes met a pair of chocolate brown orbs.

Their gazes never left each other as she descended away from the podium and sat down. They had been sitting in the same row; how had she not noticed him? She thought back and tried to remember his own introduction, but she couldn't remember. Had she really been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she couldn't remember when he'd introduced him? The other introductions flew by and everyone stood up to find potential partners. She watched as he stood up and walked away in the opposite direction.

Her heart dropped; he was probably going to find someone better to be his partner. She leaned her head on her hands and let out a long sigh. "Miss Holmes?"

For a second, she doubted anyone was actually talking to her, but she looked up and found the brown-eyed boy standing in front of her. He was... amazing. She had no other words to describe him. He ran a hand through his black hair, "Um, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to try this partner thing out? I'm a sword..."

She watched him as he drifted off. A small smile graced her face, "Of course, I like swords. I missed your introduction though."

He chuckled, "Yeah, you looked a little lost in thought. I'm Paxton." He held out his hand. "Paxton Baskerville."

She let out a small laugh and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Sorry, I just thought it was funny. Baskerville and Holmes meet again."

He got a thoughtful look on his face before he laughed, "That is pretty funny."

She stood up, "So, partners?"

He nodded, "Partners."

* * *

"C'mon, Blast."

The white-haired boy waved a dismissive hand, "Nah, maybe there's another scythe around here somewhere..."

"Blast Evans!" his mother scolded and he straightened his back, turning to face her.

"Treating a girl that way is not cool, Blast," the man next to her said.

"Sorry, mom, dad," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked over at his best-friend, "I was just kidding, Nemu. We've planning for this day for years. I'm not letting you off the hook that easily."

Nemu Sakura rolled her coal black eyes, "I could leave right now if I wanted to."

He quirked an eyebrow, "Oh really?"

She nodded firmly and he lurched forward. Nemu squealed and bounded off, Blast right behind her. Mini squirmed in her mother's arms and the woman set her child down with a resigned sigh. "That boy... He takes after you, Soul," she looked over at her husband, meeting his crimson eyed gaze.

He smiled with his shark teeth, "Of course, Maka. Just how I raised him."

Maka laughed and nudged him. "I hope they'll never have to go through what we did," she said quietly and Soul knew she was thinking of her father and Crona.

He wrapped an arm around Maka's waist, "I'm sure they won't. Asura was defeat, Arachne's dead, and Arachnophobia gone with her. They'll be fine, Maka. After all, they learned from the best..."

"Hey, can Nemu and I go explore the school?" Blast asked, running up with Mini Maka in his arms and Nemu right behind him.

Maka sighed, "I guess so, just don't-"

They raced away and the emerald eyed woman groaned, "Those kids."

* * *

"You sure you're okay with this, Mystic?"

Mystic nodded, "I'm sure, Mom. This is what I want."

"Just trust the girl, Liz. She can handle herself."

Liz sighed, "Okay, if you're sure. But you can't go on missions until you have a partner."

"Mom!"

"It's for your own safety, Mystic. It's a lot harder for Gun-type Weapons to be self-sustaining."

Next to Liz, her father nodded, "Your mother's right."

She turned to her husband, "Thank-you, Kidd. Now- Oh great, she's gone! Probably off to fix something unsymmetrical. I blame you, Kidd."

Kidd held up his hands defensively, "Not my fault, it's in the genes."

She leaned against her husband, "I kind of miss your symmetry fits..."

He wrapped an arm around her, "If I still had them, I would have to hold you _and_ Patti. Where is she anyways?"

Liz sighed, "It's the anniversary..."

"Yes... I kind of miss the unsymmetrical, pink-haired guy."

"We all do. Somehow, our group is just incomplete without him, even he was only with us for a short while."

Kidd's grip tightened, "Things sure do change..."

"Yeah... How's that one girl adjusting?"

"Nobel?" he scanned the crowd and saw the girl of question talking to a dark-haired boy. "I think she found a partner. Why do you ask?"

Liz shrugged, "I guess I just have some sympathy for her..."

"I know you do, dear. I love-"

"I am the amazing Black Star!"

Liz and Kidd turned to look at the blue-haired idiot, only to see a dictionary slam into his face. "Maka!" Liz exclaimed and ran to her spotted friend. "It's been too long."

Maka embraced her old teammate back. They hadn't seen each in a few years and Liz had to admit that her younger, flat-chested friend had changed so much. First of, she wasn't very flat-chested, in fact, she was incredibly large. She had also traded in her pigtails for a simple bun. "Black Star!"

They looked over to see a frantic Tsubaki, who was fussing over Black Star. Her stomach was round with a child. She glanced up and saw the others watching her. "Maka, Liz, Soul, Kidd!"

She speed walked over to them and Maka and Liz hugged her. Maka smirked at the Japanese flower's stomach, "Finally."

Tsubaki turned bright red, "We just, it just-"

The others laughed at her exasperated sigh. "It's okay," Maka said. "I've got two on my hands. One's nearly eleven."

"Maka! Why didn't you tell me?" Tsubaki whined.

"Well, you and Black Star have kind of been training at some secluded temple in Japan for the last twelve years, so it was a little hard to reach you."

She laughed nervously, "Oh yeah..."

"Who dares hit the god, Black Star with a... book?" they saw the blue-head whip his head around to see them. "Hey, guys."

He jumped and slapped Soul on the back. "Wow..." Tsubaki said softly. "We haven't seen each other in so long and now we all look so different..."

The other five looked at their old teammates. It was true, they had all changed. Maka smiled, "I'm glad we're all together again."

Everyone gave their affirmations. "Mom!"

"Dad!"

"Mommy!"

"Miss Evans?"

Each parent sighed, the moment ruined. "We have to catch up sometime," Tsubaki told the girls. "Shopping. Oh and Liz, bring Patti."

"And I think we need to go out for some drinks," Soul said, clapping a hand on each of the men's shoulders.

They all nodded in agreement, then hurried off in separate directions to find their kids or wander around their old school.


	2. Chapter 1: Born This Way

Summers in Death City were _hot _and as much as Nobel loved fire, she couldn't stand the sun that laughed down at them. It was hard to believe that nearly fourteen years ago, the city had been in ruins caused by the kishin, Asura. She had only been a baby then, so she didn't remember any of it, but the story still raced through the streets especially when people claimed that it had been a day like today when Asura was awakened.

Truthfully, Nobel had always wanted to meet the saviors of the world, the seven DWMA students that had stopped madness from overtaking the earth. She knew there were some of the kids of those graduates. There was Blast Evans, son of Soul and Maka Evans, and Mystic, the daughter of Liz Thompson and Lord Death the Kidd. She had never actually talked to them, even though they were in the same class. The only person she really ever talked to was Paxton.

Speaking of her partner... Where the hell was he? He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. "Who are you waiting for, Nobel?" a voice asked next to her.

She glanced at the woman standing next to her. Patti Thompson, Liz Thompson's younger sister and one of the seven that saved the world. According to most people, Patti had been a bright and bubbly girl back in the day, but it was kind of hard for Nobel to believe; Patti was one of the most serious teachers she had. Nobel shrugged, "Paxton is late, as usual..."

"Are you two going on a mission?" the older blonde asked curiously. "I would think I'd have heard something about it. You two are becoming quite the center of attention, what with having ninety-six kishin eggs and everything. You are quite the Meister."

Nobel waved her hands in front of her, "It's no big deal! Really! I'm not that good!"

Patti laughed, "Modest, as expected from you, Nobel."

"I'm not being modest. Honestly, Paxton does all the work."

"Don't put yourself down so much, Nobel," a voice said, slowly approaching them.

Nobel threw her hands to her mouth and began bowing repeatedly, "Sorry, Paxton. I didn't mean to make you angry. I'm the worst partner ever! Sorry, sorry, sorry."

Paxton started running back and forth from both sides of her, "No, no. It's okay, Nobel. You're the perfect partner!"

Patti watched the exchange with a small smile. It kind of reminded her of when Kidd had one of his symmetry attacks. Or when Crona would... Her smile fell and she glanced at the sky. The moon wasn't out yet... "Are you okay, Patti-sensei?" Nobel asked, seeing her teacher's distress.

The older woman gave a small laugh, "Of course, you guys have fun doing... whatever it is you're going to do."

She walked away, casting them a suspicious glance and Nobel let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. The two of them were actually going on a mission, one assigned to them by Lord Death the Kidd. They were going to be going with a few others, but he didn't really elaborate. Nobel turned to Paxton with a frown, "You're late."

He chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, sorry. I got distracted..."

She smiled, "By tacos or a stray dog?"

Paxton crossed his arms, "Neither, it was a trumpet on sale at Albert and Sons."

She laughed, shaking her head, "Really, Pax. You need to try and focus more. We better get going. Death the Kidd said to be at the school at three."

"But, you told me to meet you here at two... You knew I was going to be late!"

Although she tried to put on an innocent face, she couldn't help but giggle. Paxton's mouth dropped open. "Do you have no faith in my abilities?"

She looked at an imaginary watch, "Oh look, we're going to be late."

"Don't avoid-"

Before he could finish his statement, Nobel took off down the sidewalk. Paxton watched her blankly for a moment before chasing after her. "Nobel Holmes!" he yelled, laughing in between.

He could hear her small giggles as she raced away.

* * *

Blast lazily leaned against the wall, checking his texts as Nemu bounced a rubber ball against the adjacent wall. She looked over at him, still bouncing the ball, "Who all's coming?"

He shrugged, "Mystic can't come, still needs a Meister and that girl Ruby and her partner, Zach, are coming."

"That all?"

He shook his head and looked over at her, his emerald green eyes gleaming with excitement. "Nobel Holmes and Paxton Baskerville are also coming."

Nemu stopped bouncing her ball to look at him, "Seriously? Don't they have over ninety Kishin souls?"

Blast bobbed his head, "They might even break Mom's record. Doubt it though."

The black-haired girl squealed, "I can't believe Nobel is coming! She's seriously the most talked about girl at school right now."

"Am I the only one who finds it odd that she's so popular, yet her only friend is her Weapon and no one knows anything about her?"

Nemu smirked, "You just don't want to admit she's cute."

Blast's face reddened a little, "What?!"

"'Oh, please marry me, Nobel-sama. We can make little Meister babies together!'" Nemu cried out dramatically, clutching a hand over her chest.

Her partner glared at her, "I wouldn't say anything like that!"

"Oh, so you're going to say something to her?" Nemu wiggled her eyebrows.

"W-what?!" Blast stuttered. "Stop putting words in my mouth."

"Coming through!"

Both him and Nemu moved back just enough to see a flash of orange, red, brown, and black pass them. The figure jumped on a dumpster, free-ran up the wall, and leapt over the dead end wall. The nearly moved away from the wall when another person passed them, exclaiming, "Excuse me!"

The two thirteen-years old glanced at each other before shrugging. Nemu glanced down at her watch, "We better get going. It nearly two forty-five."

Blast nodded and grabbed his backpack off the ground, slinging it over his shoulder. "I hope we can get some food."

Nemu rolled her eyes, "I brought snacks."

* * *

Ruby Midnight rummaged through her locker, "I knew I put it in here! Where is it?"

Her Weapon partner, Zach Reeds, sighed, "You sure you left it in here, Ru?"

She pouted, "Of course I'm sure. I have a better memory than you might think, Zach."

He laughed, "Of course. Hurry it up, we're going to be late."

She glared at him, her ruby eyes showing only seriousness. He held up his hands, "Okay, I yield. What are you looking for anyways?"

She looked close to tears, "I lost my brand new tube of Death-brand lip gloss. I'm doomed!"

"Really, we're going to be late because you can't find your lip gloss?"

Her eyes avoided his reprimanding gaze, "Maybe..."

He grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the locker. "We're going."

She waved her free hand frantically, "But my lip gloss!"

Zach shook his head and sighed. Sometimes, this girl was too much for him, but he still loved her. Eventually, she gave up trying to escape and crossed her arms, letting her partner drag her to Lord Death the Kidd's office. They entered the room and he looked at the many graves before approaching the podium, where Kidd stood with four other students. He recognized Blast Evan's snow-white hair and his partner's black mop of hair, but the other two heads he couldn't quite place. They seemed familiar, though... "Ah, Ruby, Zachary, come in," Kidd called to them.

Ruby noticed the other teenagers and jumped up, hiding behind her partner. "You didn't tell me there was going to be others," she hissed to Kidd.

He smiled slightly, "If I did, you wouldn't have come."

She pursed her lips and looked at each of the others, her gaze stopping on the last one. Zach barely recognized her with her golden brown braided hair and electric blue eyes. "You have a very unusual-looking soul," Ruby told the girl, sounding very serious. "It's pretty though." she finished happily.

The girl smiled brightly and turned back to Kidd, "What's this mission you've been talking about?"

Then, it clicked. The girl was Nobel Holmes and the boy next to her was her partner, Paxton Baskerville. They were in his class, but they rarely talked to anyone but each other. They seemed incredibly close, even for Meister and Weapon. Zach could barely recall a time when Paxton had punched a Senior in the face because he was talking about how unattractive Nobel was. Everyone had expected them to come back from their Remedial Lesson empty-handed, but the two had returned with ten kishin eggs to add to their quota.

Kidd looked at the three pairs, "You have been specially selected to go on a top secret mission."

"We got that," Blast said. "But what's the actual _mission_?"

The Shinigami nodded, "I was getting to that. There has been an abnormally large amount of kishins in central Rome."

"And you want us to check it out, maybe get a few eggs, learn anything we can and leave?" Zach confirmed and Kidd nodded.

"I want Nobel to be in charge for this mission, she and Paxton are the most experienced in stealth operations."

Everyone nodded. "When do we leave?" Nemu asked.

"As soon as you can," Kidd replied. "I've take the liberty of renting out three rooms. Remember, this is _covert. _Try and act like normal teenagers on vacation or something and avoid as much conflict as possible."

"Okay," Nobel said before turning to her "team". "We'll leave tomorrow and hopefully be back by next week at the most."


	3. Chapter 2: Around the World

Nobel stretched her arms, letting out a small yawn. The other five students followed her, each dragging their own suitcases. While scanning the airport, Nobel pushed up her sunglasses, exposing her electric blue eyes to the world. Behind her, Ruby yawned dramatically. "Why couldn't we have taken Lord Kidd's jet?" the black-haired girl complained, running a hand through her long hair.

"It's a stealth mission, Ru," Zach reminded his Meister.

"I know that... But I hate commercial flights. I mean really? Peanuts?!" she shook the bag in her hand for emphasis, but popped one of the small nuts into her mouth.

Nobel laughed, "Peanuts are good for you, Ruby."

"And delicious," Paxton added with a nod as he picked up Nobel's suitcase despite her protests.

Still, the red-eyed girl pouted, "I still think they should have something better. Like pudding, pudding's nice."

Next to her, Nemu rolled her eyes before focusing her attention on Nobel who was still arguing with Paxton about him carrying her bag. "What's the plan, boss?" the coal-eyed girl asked.

Nobel glared at her Weapon before turning to her "team". God, she hoped this was only temporary. She didn't like so many people being around her... "The plan is to go to our hotel room and then do a little touring."

Everyone understood the implication and bobbed their heads. Suddenly, Blast groaned and walked to them. "Why'd you leave me on the plane?" he asked his partner.

She shrugged, "Don't know. You're a little hard to wake up."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

Everyone else sweat dropped. They hadn't really been paying attention to Nobel and Paxton's argument, but this one had their full attention. "Guys," Nobel tried.

"Stay out of this!" Nemu shouted and the older girl flinched back. She hated being in charge. She hated when people yelled at her.

Paxton saw his partner's discomfort and walked up, slamming his palm into the backs of the two youngsters. "Ow!" they yelled simultaneously. "What was that for?!"

Paxton glared down at them and they immediately snapped to attention. Nobel blew some stray hairs out of her face, "Good. You ready to go?"

They both nodded and Ruby and Zach agreed.

* * *

"Why do we have to be in Rome on a mission?" Ruby complained. "I wish we could just take sometime to walk around."

"If we finish this quickly, we can," Nobel reminded her.

Zach laughed at his Meister's pouty face and ruffled her hair affectionately. She glared at him, but didn't say anything else. Nobel sighed, looking down at the map. "You read Italian?" Blast asked when he noticed it wasn't written in English.

"I taught her," Paxton said proudly. "My mom always enforced learning the languages of my heritage."

"_Si, vedete l'hotel?_ (Yes, do you see the hotel?)"

Paxton shook his head as the other four exchanged glances. He held out his hand, _"No, fammi vedere la mappa. _(No, let me see the map.)"

She gave him the map and he looked it over before taking in their surroundings. "Are we lost?" Ruby asked anxiously.

"No," Paxton said slowly before pointing to a building a few blacks away. "I'm pretty sure that's it."

Nobel chuckled nervously, "Oh, guess I missed that."

Paxton laughed, "It's okay, Nobel. You got us this far."

"Do you any other languages?" Nemu asked suddenly while they walked towards the hotel.

"Um," Paxton looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "I know Navajo, Spanish, and Greek... Nobel's teaching me some Swedish and French."

"You know French?" Ruby cried out. "The 'language of love'?"

Nobel nodded, "My grandmother lived there for twelve years. And she was born in Sweden..." He expression became distant. "She taught me a lot."

Paxton squeezed her shoulder. One thing about her past he knew about was her grandmother, who had died a year before Nobel joined the DWMA. She smiled at him appreciatively.

"It's so big!" Ruby exclaimed and Nobel looked at hotel that was now in front of them.

Blast's jaw dropped to the floor while Nemu's eyes grew to the size of saucers. Paxton gaped at the size of the hotel as Zach and Ruby rushed in. Nobel was for the most part unaffected. She had stayed in some pretty fancy hotels in her life; like the Broadmoor in Colorado. That was a nice stay...

"You coming?" Paxton asked, holding her amber colored suitcase in one hand and his own black suitcase in the other.

She smiled brightly and nodded, "Of course I am."

They entered the lobby to find Ruby twirling around circles, Zack laughing, and Nemu and Blast touching everything and anything while a very irritated manager watched them from the desk. Nobel's eyes nearly popped out of her head and Paxton sighed resignedly, shaking his head. Were they like this once? He doubted, he was pretty laid back and Nobel was relatively solemn.

They walked up to the desk and the manager looked over at them, frustration gleaming in her eyes. "Are these kids your responsibility?" she questioned.

"I am so sorry," Nobel said frantically. "It's their first time at a hotel this wonderful."

Paxton raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had expected Nobel to go all berserk, apologizing and being over-dramatic. The manager's lips twitched into a slight smile. "I mean look at this amazing decorum! It's so beautifully attributed to Classic Roman Era design. I positively love it!"

The manger smiled, "I'm glad you like it, Miss..."

"Holmes. Nobel Holmes."

The woman looked at her computer and nodded, "Reservations for a suite, three bedroom, six beds?"

Nobel gave the woman a smile that could make an angry bear love her, "That's the one."

"Well, just try to keep them more in check."

"Of course, thank-you for your patience."

The manager's smile grew, "Anything for a fan of fine interior design."

The brunette nodded and glanced at Paxton, who gathered up the other team members. When they were out of earshot, Nobel let out a long breath. "I haven't done that in years," she sighed.

"Done what?" a clueless Ruby asked.

Paxton smirked, "I just learned that my Meister can flatter like it's nobody's business."

She frowned, "Don't put it that way. I like to call it 'Persuasive Reasoning'." she looked at the other four members. "Can you please try to behave yourselves?"

"We were just excited," Nemu mumbled. "No need to get so angry."

"Oh, sorry. I know you were just excited. Sorry, sorry. Oh, I'm a terrible person!" Nobel bowed to each of the others several times until Paxton grabbed her arm to make her stop.

"That's the Nobel I know," he teased.

She blushed slightly and ducked away. "Okay, we'll go touring in different areas. I wish Lord Kidd would have let us have one more group... Anyways, Ruby and Zach, you'll take the east. Blast and Nemu, the south. Paxton and I'll cover north and west. We'll meet up here at five o'clock. Got it?"

"Got it," they all answered simultaneously.

Nobel smiled as they exited the elevator and she walked to their suite. She slipped the card in and threw the door open, "Don't break anything."

* * *

"Aren't we supposed to do this covertly?" Paxton question Nobel as she perched on the edge of the roof.

She looked at him, "I'm being covert. He never really specified as to how he want it to be covert."

He shook his head, "Sometimes, I wonder where your rebellious side comes from, then I remember you've been my partner for two years."

She shifted her foot slightly with amazing grace and balance, "Two years... I can't believe how fast time has flown..."

Her Weapon laughed, "Me neither. Hey, I was thinking..."

She looked at him, "Hmm?"

The usually confident teenager rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he avoid her gaze. "I think we should move in together. Get an apartment or something?"

He met her eyes, which were as big as UFOs. He waved his hands in front of him, "It was just something Stein suggested. He said a lot of people do it, because it helps build up the resonance of the souls.."

She looked away and her eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. "I guess that makes sense. I can use some of my savings to pay for it and we can use our mission rewards to pay rent..." she turned to him and smiled, "Let's do it. I hate sharing a dorm with a bunch of stuck-up bitches anyways."

Paxton let out a relieved breath, "Good. I'm really getting annoyed by some of the boys in my dorm."

A concerned look passed on her face, "Why? What are they doing to you?"

He blew some stray hairs out of his eyes, "It's not what their doing to me... They've been insulting you... I keep telling them to give you a chance, get to know you a bit better, but-"

Nobel placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's fine, Paxton. I don't exactly fit in... Besides, you're really the only person I need."

He ducked his head to hide his blush, he loved it when she said things like that. Still... "Maybe you should become friends with some of our team members," he suggested. "After all, Blast is the son of Maka Albarn, your idol."

"And the son of your idol, Soul 'Eater' Evans," she teased.

Paxton chuckled, "You know it."

Nobel giggled, "I have always wanted to meet Maka. She's so amazing." she said dreamily, clasping her hands together. "I hope I can be like her."

"And wield a scythe? Fine, guess I'm not needed anymore."

His Meister snapped out of her thoughts and exclaimed, "No, it's not like that! I just want to turn you into a Death Scythe and soon as possible and become really powerful. I would never replace you. Oh god, I'm the worst partner ever!"

Paxton rolled his eyes, "I didn't mean it, Nobel! You're the best partner I could ever ask for. Calm down, please."

She glared at him, "I thought you were serious! What kind of partner am I if I can't even tell when your joking?!"

He thought she was going to burst into tears and began panicking. On impulse, he pulled her into a hug. She immediately stopped ranting and stiffened in his arms. "You're the most amazing Meister in the world," he told her quietly. "Okay? If anyone else asked to be my Meister, I'd turn them away immediately because no one else could ever replace you."

There was a moment of silence. "Paxton, I-" she suddenly jolted up, very alert.

"What is it?" Paxton asked worriedly.

"A Witch," she growled lowly. "And a powerful one."

* * *

**How do you like it so far? Tune in next chapter for: Action, Secrets, and a new character! Please review. O-O**


	4. Chapter 3: Secrets

"Are you sure it was a Witch?" Paxton questioned.

Nobel glanced at the sword in her hand, her expression surprisingly grim, "Yes."

Paxton's reflection appeared on the blade, "Maybe we should call for back up or at least make sure the rest of the team knows what's going on..."

She paused on the end of the roof to a restaurant and looked down at Paxton's weapon form. He was shocked by the near desperate expression that danced across her face, "Please, Paxton, just trust me."

He nodded slowly, "Always."

He expected her to smile, but she just nodded and continued moving. He sighed and tried to relax. Nobel suddenly stopped and he could feel an icy hatred radiating off of her soul. "Noe? You okay?"

"She was here," Nobel whispered, confusion evident in her voice. "I know she was..."

Paxton saw a flash of light coming from behind Nobel. "Duck!" he yelled.

Nobel fell into a crouching position as something bronze soared over her head. "What was that?" Paxton whispered.

"I don't know," Nobel replied.

Giggling filled the air. It sounded similar to the noise a small child would make, but at the same time sounded much too sadistic to come close to the laughter of child. Nobel spun around, still crouching. "Who's there?" she called out.

The air in front of them rippled and a teenage girl on a broom appeared. She had long straw blonde hair that fell in thick curls to her lower back and dark red eyes framed by long black eyelashes. Her skin was a golden tan, contrasting with the light of the moon. Nobel could tell by looking at her soul that she was a Witch. The soul itself was huge and purple, almost completely blocking out the moon. A large golden scorpion curled around it like a necklace.

"Hello," the witch said in a sing-songy voice as she leaned back on the broom, her gold chiffon skirt rustled.

Both Paxton and Nobel couldn't help but notice how much her clothing resembled that of a certain Egyptian queen; from the gold scorpion bracelet on her wrist to the blue, golds, and whites of her clothing. "Who are you?" Nobel demanded.

The Witch giggled again, "Now, why should I tell you that? So you can run along and report me to your little Shinigami? I think not."

Her red eyes met Nobel's blue ones and a slightly surprised expression crossed her face. "I never thought I'd meet you, dear. Guess I can't kill you; I may be evil but I would never kill one of my own."

Paxton's reflection appeared on the blade, "What does she mean one of her own, Nobel?"

"Nothing," Nobel told him through gritted teeth.

The Witch clapped her hands together, "Oh, the Weapon doesn't know? Are you trying to keep it a secret?" a sadistic smile crept onto her face. "Did I let my tongue slip?"

"Shut up," Nobel snapped.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That's no way to talk to your elders, Nobel."

"Noe?"

Nobel glanced down at Paxton before her gaze focused on the Witch. "Oh, did I make you angry? I'm terribly sorry. Didn't mean no harm. Tell me," she flipped upside down. "Why are you fighting with the DWMA? We both know how much potential you have and I can just see the frustration in you ready to burst."

"Quiet," Nobel hissed. "We will talk no more about this. You are a Witch and I am a Meister for the DWMA; we have no association with each other other than being enemies. Understood?"

The Witch stuck out her tongue, "Well, you're no fun. I best be on my way." She gave the two a small wave and disappeared in a slight ripple. "I'll see you soon, Nobel," he voice echoed through the almost silent night.

"Dang it! We missed her!"

Nobel jumped, spinning around to come face to face with Blast, who was holding a scythe behind him that she barely recognized as Nemu. Ruby was standing next to the two thirteen year olds, a purple katana, Zach, casually slung over her shoulder. "Did you fight her?" Blast asked excitedly. "Was it awesome?"

Paxton looked up at his Meister before shifting into his human form. She took a deep breath, her smile reappearing on her face. Nemu and Zach each returned to their human forms. "We didn't fight her," Nobel said. "She left before we had the chance."

"You should have attacked," Zach said sternly, reaching out to touch her.

Nobel flinched away and Paxton stood in front of her protectively. "We did everything we could," the broadsword retaliated, his gaze focused on Zach.

"Fine," the blonde-haired boy replied, turning around. "You did your best. But sometimes, that doesn't save lives."

Behind Paxton, Nobel stared at the ground.

* * *

"Nobel?"

Nobel looked up from the book gripped so tightly in her hands that her knuckles were white. Paxton had his back to her, running a towel through his wet hair. Her grip on the book tightened as she waited. "What did she mean 'one of her own'?"

There it was. "I-I don't want to talk about it..." she whispered, her throat tight.

"No!" he shouted, turning to face her.

She flinched and stared at the book as tears blurred her vision. Her bed sank under an added weight, but she didn't look up. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I just- How can this continue working if you won't ever trust me. Please, you're my Meister, one of the best things that's ever happened to me. Just- Never mind."

He was about to stand up when Nobel carefully covered his hand with hers. She had put the book down, but she still wouldn't look at him. She turned her head to the side, "I know I should trust you, but that's hard for me to do. So many people in my life have broken the trust I gave them and I- I don't know if I have anymore to give..."

He tilted her chin up, "Can you try?"

She nodded, but turned away again. "I guess the first thing you should know about me is that I'm half-witch."

He gaped at her in shock and she thought he would leave or yell at her. Instead he spoke softly, "Is that why-"

"There's purple blending into my soul? Yes. I've tried everything I could to hide it, but it's permanent. At least most don't suspect it because of the dominating midnight blue color."

"But the Witch..."

"Witches have very good Soul Perception and are best at recognizing Witch attributes. It's a bit unfortunate for me, but Paxton, I'm not like them. You know I'm not."

He stood up, "I need some time to think."

She nodded, staring down at the tacky comforter, "I understand, it's probably a lot to process..."

He bobbed his head and pulled on his shoes. She watched quietly as he left the room.

* * *

"Remind me again why we picked this over Rome?" a male voice asked deep in the sewers of New York.

"Because the Rome mission had too many people," another male voice responded automatically.

_Go to the left._

The sound of footsteps could be heard changing direction. "Some social interaction would do you good, Isaac."

Isaac Meta ran a hand through his black hair and looked at the sniper rifle gripped in his hand. "So says you, Ken. Studies actually show that hermits live longer."

The sniper rifle, Ken Korosu, huffed, "I really wanted to see some gladiators, though."

"It was a mission," Isaac reminded him. "We'd probably be too busy to do anything-"

He suddenly spun around, and found himself staring at a man with a smile too big for his thin face and hungry red eyes. "Welcome to my diner, how may I serve your soul?" the man asked maniacally.

Isaac flipped back just as a butcher knife sliced towards where he had been. The man's smile faltered slightly, "You a slippery one, ain't you?"

"He has terrible grammar," Isaac said, disgusted.

"Who cares about his grammar, shoot him!" Ken yelled.

Isaac leveled the rifle and pulled the trigger. The bullet soared towards the Kishin egg and... over his shoulder? "You missed!" Ken exclaimed. "We're at point blank range and you missed!"

"Plan B," Isaac muttered, turning on his foot and running.

"Get back 'ere, you lil' runt!" the Kishin egg yelled. "Nobody runs from Butcher Jack!"

Isaac slipped and found himself falling into the sewer drainage. "Yuck!" Ken exclaimed.

The Meister stumbled back up, his finger accident pulling down the trigger. A bullet hit the wall, bounced off and slammed into Butcher Jack's forehead, killing him. The form faded away until only a floating red soul was visible. Isaac walked over to it and Ken changed back, swallowing the soul. He looked at his meister, crinkling his nose. "You seriously need a shower, dude."

* * *

Paxton reentered the room to find the lights off and the curtains thrown open. The glowing moonlight seemed to surround Nobel as she slept on her bed, curled up under the blankets. One of her hands was stuck under the pillow while the other rested near her face, curled into a loose fist. He smiled and walked over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed. Truth be told, he was scared; not because she was a half-Witch, but because that other Witch had said she'd see his Meister again. Sure, he was shocked about her ethnicity, but she was right. She wasn't like them. She was Nobel Holmes, his Meister and one of the few people that really cared about him. He reached up a hand and brushed a stray hair out of her face. He just wanted to protect her, keep her safe; but how could he do that if he didn't even know what was after her or why she flinched away from every touch when she was awake or who broke her trust so badly.

He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Paxton?" she mumbled, sounding exhausted as she struggled to open her eyes.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered. "It's okay."

She nodded, making a content noise as she snuggled deeper into the bed. He smiled and walked over to the curtains, pulling them closed. Then, he settled into his bed, knowing that for now, Nobel was safe.

* * *

A pair of red eyes watched Paxton and Nobel closely and the Witch smiled to herself. "What an interesting pair," she whispered maliciously. "Keep an eye on them, won't you?"

The woman next to her bowed lowly, "Of course, Scorpio."


	5. Chapter 4: This is War

Death the Kidd leaned back in his chair, a scowl set on his face. To his right stood Liz, Patti, and Tsubaki, and to his left were Maka, Soul, and Black Star. Maka let out a long breath, "I can't believe this."

"Really?" Patti said, her hands clenched into fists. "Because I can. Witches are manipulative, every single one of-" Liz put a hand on her younger sister's shoulder.

"The Witches have broken their agreement-" Kidd said, standing up.

"They broke it four years ago when they had that damn massacre," Patti snapped at him.

"I was willing to excuse that because the students attacked them first without our authorization," he growled to his Weapon.

"I think we all knew it wasn't going to last," a familiar voice added.

The seven former students turned to see Franken Stein walking down the guillotine-line path, Spirit Albarn next to him. "Hi, Maka!" Spirit exclaimed excitedly.

She rolled her eyes, "Hi, Papa."

Kidd stepped around his chair, "You saw it too, Stein?"

"Yes," the gray-haired man nodded, taking a long drag from his cigarette.

Maka looked at Kidd, "He's right. It was obvious it wasn't going to last. The DWMA and Witches have been at battle much too long for it to simply be forgotten like that."

"And after that dragon Witch killed Jackie..." Tsubaki said solemnly.

"Kim broke off all ties with the Witches after that," Liz agreed.

"The point is," Spirit said. "A Witch has once again attacked a member of the DWMA. I think they're trying to declare war."

"We don't know if the Witch was acting out on her own, though," Kidd pointed out. "We can't just accuse the Witches of treason."

"And why can't we?" Soul questioned. "They've done more to the DWMA in the past sixteen years than the agreement should allow. We've only been given the souls of treasonous Witches to make Death Scythes and they're still attacking and killing DWMA students."

"They aren't our comrades anymore, Kidd," Maka added. "They're our children."

At that, everyone turned to the current Lord Death. "Fine," he sighed. "I'll talk to Mabaa."

* * *

"You look all good, but you should be a bit more careful, Nobel. They don't really prepare you students for fighting Witches anymore."

Nobel nodded, giving the nurse a small smile. Rana Kitsune had been teaching the brunette since she began attending the DWMA and had only began working as a nurse when Nygus had left to keep track of the Africa branch along with her Meister, Sid.

Rana patted her on the head and Paxton peeked around the door. The red-headed woman rolled her eyes, "Can I help you, Mister Baskerville?"

His brown eyes widened in a comical way, "I was just wondering if Nobel was ready to go."

Rana laughed and winked at Nobel. "I'm afraid Nobel is deathly ill and may not survive the night," she said in the most solemn voice she could muster.

"What?!" Paxton exclaimed and ran into the room. He paused when he saw Nobel sitting up and smirking at him. Rana laughed behind her hand.

She grabbed Paxton from behind, turned him around, and held him to her very large chest, "You are so gullible, Pax-kun!"

Paxton turned bright red and fell back, blood spurting from his nose. Nobel knelt next to her unconscious partner and poked him tentatively, "Is he going to be okay?"

Rana laughed, "Just a little blood loss, no big deal."

"Torturing the innocent again, Rana?"

Nobel and Rana looked at the door and the younger of the two saw an unfamiliar woman standing on the threshold. "Maka-chan!" Rana exclaimed and hugged the petite woman tightly. "When did you get back from you trip in the Bahamas? Does Blast know you're back?"

Nobel stared blankly at the ash-blonde woman. This was Maka Albarn Evans, one of the most powerful Meisters in the world? Maka smiled at Nobel, "You have a very beautiful soul."

The younger girl flushed crimson, "T-thank-you, Maka-sama!"

Maka pouted, "You make me sound old."

Nobel began bowing repeatedly, "I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry. I din't mean to make you sound old. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm a terrible person!"

Maka began fluttering around her, "No, you aren't. I was just kidding! I kind of like being called 'Maka-sama'."

Nobel peeked up at Maka, "Really?"

The older woman nodded, "Yes, I do. Honestly."

A small smile slid onto Nobel's face, "Okay."

Maka relaxed, "Well you know my name, what's your's?"

"N-Nobel Holmes..." she replied shyly, looking at the tiled floor.

"Eh, you're Nobel Holmes? The girl I keep hearing all the students talking about? You must really be something."

Nobel waved her hands in front of her, "N-no. I'm not that great. You're the great one! You're my hero."

Rana laughed at Maka's surprised expression. "This girl practically worships you, Maka-chan."

Once again, Nobel blushed, "I-I just think you're really amazing, Maka-sama..."

Maka smiled and patted Nobel on the head, "Thank-you. I really appreciate that."

Nobel looked up at her hero, "R-really?"

"Yep," she glanced at Paxton, sweat-dropping. "Maybe we should move him to a bed."

"On it~" Rana said in a sing-songy voice as she picked Paxton up and dumped him onto a bed.

Both Nobel and Maka sweat-dropped as Rana leaned over him to adjust some stuff.

* * *

"Dad!" Blast exclaimed when he entered his and Nemu's apartment and saw none other than Soul "Eater" Evans sitting on his couch.

Soul looked over at his son and grinned, baring his shark-like teeth. "Hey, kiddo. How'd your mission go?"

Blast shrugged off his coat and made sure to hang it up so he wouldn't incur the wrath of Nemu. Just thinking about it made him shudder. The scythe had left after her check-up to go visit her parents and pick up some groceries for dinner. "Not interesting. We didn't even find a kishin egg!" the younger groaned. "Where are Mom and Mini?"

"Mom's still at the school; she's going to start teaching soon; and Mini's with Blair."

"Aunt Blair?" Blast plopped down next to his father. "You left Mini with Aunt Blair?"

"And Miss Marie; you know Conner and Cassie's mom right?"

Blast nodded. Soul leaned back against the couch, "I heard you encountered a Witch on your mission."

The younger boy groaned, "I wish! Nobel got to have all the fun!"

"Nobel? That girl you have a crush on?"

Blast flushed, "I-I don't have a crush on her. She's just a very good Meister is all. Besides..."

Soul leaned in, "Besides what?"

"I think Nemu might like me," Blast said quietly. "It would make sense, wouldn't it? A Weapon and their Meister together. Like you and Mom; and Lord Kidd and Miss Liz; or even Star and Aunt Tsubaki. I think Ruby and Zach, who were on my team for the mission, are together, too. And Nemu and I have been best-friends our whole lives. I don't know. Maybe we're too young..."

Soul was quiet for a moment. "I don't think you're too young," he said eventually. "But I also don't think you should push it. Right now might not be the best time to start a relationship."

Blast glanced at his dad, "What do you mean?"

"It might be nothing," Soul replied. "But it might be something. A Witch attacking a DWMA student without good reason is a serious offense."

His phone buzzed and he took it out. "Your mom wants me to go pick her up."

He pushed himself off the couch and looked at his son, "Do whatever you think is cool."

Blast watched as his dad walked out of the apartment before leaning back. "But I'm not cool like you, Dad."

* * *

"Can we at least rest first, Isaac?" Ken groaned as he and his partner marched through the halls of the DWMA.

"No," Isaac replied. "We need to report to Lord Kidd immediately."

"Why should we? Nothing interesting happened. 'We got our sixteenth Kishin soul, Lord Kidd,'" Ken said, imitating his serious Meister. "'Good job, now go. I have a lot more important things to do than hear about every soul you get'."

Isaac glared at his partner, "We were told on orientation day to report to Lord Kidd every time a new soul was added."

"He's probably too bust right now," Ken countered. "Didn't you here that a Witch attacked on that Rome mission. If the Witches have broken their agreement, one that Lord Kidd set up himself, then he's probably doing something that's more important than our soul collection."

For once, the Weapon is right. Isaac slowed his steps and looked up at the mission board looming in front of them. So many missions, some taken, some not. Kishin egg activity had increased lately. Was there a reason? Or was it just a coincidence?"

The halls were usually empty around this time because students were in class, but a Meister and Weapon pair stood in front of the board, talking quietly. Isaac recognized them from class, but he wasn't quite sure who they were. The girl had long midnight blue hair and the guy standing next to her had blonde hair. "Yo, Zach!" Ken called out.

The blonde boy turned around and high-fived Ken. Were they friends? How come Isaac didn't know him? The girl turned around, "Hi, Ken, Isaac."

He saw the girl's crimson eyes and remembered who they were. Ruby Midnight and Zach Reeds. How could he forget? The four of them had been friends since they started going to school at the DWMA. What was going on with him? He rubbed his face. Maybe he was just tired... Yeah, that was it. "You okay, Isaac?" Ruby asked quietly, touching his arm carefully.

He nodded, "Yeah, fine. How was the Rome mission?"

Ruby brightened up a bit, "After the Witch attacked Nobel and Paxton, she let us explore. Zach and I had tons of fun! Then Nobel treated us all to lunch at a really fancy restaurant. Oh, and you should have seen the hotel we stayed at. Talk about classy!"

Isaac smiled as his friends talked about Rome. You are getting too close.

He didn't care.

* * *

Kidd looked exhausted when he walked back into the room. "How'd it go?" Liz asked.

The Shingami shook his head, "They wouldn't let me in. Dammit!" He slammed his hand into a nearby pillar, leaving a crack in it's surface.

Spirit sighed and straightened up, "So, what does this mean?"

Kidd settled down into his chair, staring at the still surface of the mirror. "This means war."

"You want me to make an announcement?" Soul asked, walking back in.

Kidd nodded and moved so Soul could stand in front of the mirror. He tapped into the town's mirrors and saw everyone of them appear on the mirror. "Attention."

Death City everywhere went quiet. "As I'm sure you all know, a Witch has attacked a DWMA student. This would usually go unattended because the student or member would make the first move, but-"

* * *

Nobel looked up at the mirror in the nurse's office along with a newly conscious Paxton, Maka, and Rana. "This attack was made on a student that did not do as such. Unfortunately, the Witch Mabaa will not reply to our summons and has forthwith shut the-"

* * *

Ruby's had flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp, and Zach wrapped an arm around her waist while Isaac and Ken stared at the screen. "DWMA and our leader, Lord Death the Kidd, out. For fear of-"

* * *

Blast and Nemu stared up at the mirror, held up by a statue of the former Lord Death, in Death Square. Blast knew that something was wrong if his father was talking, but this... "Attack and/or betrayal, the DWMA is taking precautionary measures. Ordinary citizens will be moved out of the city, while students will prepare for the worst."

* * *

All eyes in Death City stared at the screens. "This is war."

* * *

**What do you think? Is the story moving too fast? Please comment.**


	6. Chapter 5: Hall of Fame

"Why are we on a mission right after the DWMA declared war on the Witches?" Nemu questioned her meister in a whiny voice.

Blast glanced the scythe gripped in his hand, the purple blade glinting in the moonlight. He remembered his dad telling him stories about how the moon had been black for a few years after the suppression of the Madness. What was the name of that other person that no one ever talk about? Crater? Crono? No... "There was a kishin spotted here," Blast told her. "Just because we declared war doesn't mean we can just forget our duty as students of Shibusen."

She crossed her arms in the reflection, but didn't say anything. Blast shook his head and took in the surrounding area. What was a kishin egg doing in a place like this? They usually dwelt in populated areas. This was in the middle of Nowhere, Kansas. With a sigh, he shook his head and continued moving through the empty streets. It was so quiet... Too quiet...

He brought Nemu up, blocking off a punch from an unknown attacker. He moved back and shifted his weight to flip Nemu's scythe form over to the other side of his body. The assailant made it's attack. The kishin glared at him with slitted eyes. It kind of looked like... The grocery shop owner?!

Blast remembered him from when they were asking around. He had seemed like such a nice man. "That's a nice weapon you've got there..." he growled with a sickening smile.

In his hands, Nemu shivered. Blast swiped toward the kishin that dodged each of his movements. The Meister grunted and used Nemu's pole to lift himself in the air and slam his foot into the side of the kishin's face. The former grocery owner stumbled back, holding his nose. "Brat," he growled.

Blast flipped into the air and brought Nemu's blade down. Only to have the kishin catch it with his bare hands. "You're quick," it sneered.

Before he realized what was happening, the Meister and his Weapon were thrown back. Blast grunted in pain when his back slammed into a nearby brick wall. "Are you okay?" Nemu questioned.

The white-haired boy nodded and tried to stand up, using Nemu as a balancer. His knees buckled and he collapsed again as black spots danced in front of his vision. "Blast!"Nemu screamed, transforming back into her human form.

"It's nothing," he tried to assure her.

"No," she touched the back of his head and he winced when her fingers brushed over a sensitive area. "Dammit, I think you have a concussion."

Blast saw something out of the corner of his eye. "Nemu!" he yelled, flipping them so he was shielding her. He expected the kishin to deliver a heavy blow, but it never came.

When he heard a grunt, he opened his eyes. He didn't even realize he closed them. He glanced up and saw someone dressed in all black holding up the kishin's fist. "Are you okay?" a male voice asked.

It took Blast a moment to register the question. "Yeah."

"Your Weapon?"

He looked down at Nemu, who looked a little shocked, but other than that, fine. "She's fine," he said, unable to control the relief in his voice.

"Good. Let me finish him."

"Wait-"

Blast watched in surprise as the person shoved the kishin back and delivered a hard blow to it's face. He swung his leg into a flawless spin kick, tripping it before it could recover. Then, the person pulled a pistol out of his pocket and shot the kishin once in the forehead. It wasn't long before a red blob was floating in front of him. He started to walk away.

"Wait!" Blast shouted and the figure turned, his face hidden by a hood.

"Yeah?"

"What's your name?"

"Archangel," he replied. "Be more careful next time, kid." He began walking away.

"Archangel?!"

He spun around, "What is it this time?"

"Is this your first time facing a kishin?"

"Nope. Now, if you'll excuse-"

"Have you ever heard of the DWMA?"

"Shibusen? Warriors of the World? Well, yeah," he said, sounding annoyed. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

Blast let Nemu help him up, keeping on arm around his waist. "I think we have a place for you there."

* * *

"Um, Paxton?"

Paxton glanced at at his Meister out of the corner of his eye, "Yes, Nobel?"

"Why are they sitting here?" she whispered.

The Weapon chuckled nervously, "I honestly have no idea..."

Nobel continued to stare at the people now sitting at her and Paxton's usual lunch table. Ruby sat directly in front of the Meister, eating her salad as she talked about clothes and hairstyles to a girl Nobel faintly recognized while the girl next to her munched on her sandwich broodingly, a dark aura radiating off of her. Across from Paxton sat Zach, who was discussing something with Isaac Meta and Ken Korosu. Mystic, the daughter of Lord Death the Kidd, sat next to Nobel, listening to Ruby and Unknown Girl #1's conversation and another unknown boy sat on the other side of Paxton, a girl next to him.

Honestly, Nobel didn't even know the table could fit this many people... "Ne, Nobel-chan?"

The brunette snapped out of her thoughts and looked over at Ruby, more startled by the honorific than the fact that the midnight blue-haired girl had talked to her. "What? I'm sorry."

"We were talking about how adorable your outfit is!" Unknown Girl #1 gushed.

Nobel looked down at her clothes, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She didn't see anything cute about her practical orange, red, and black outfit choice. "Where did you find those shorts?" Ruby questioned. "I can't find any like that anywhere!"

"Actually," Nobel said slowly. "I bought them in Milan."

Both of the girl's shrieked and the Miss Glum brooded even more. "You've been to Milan?!" Ruby questioned. "And not on a mission? Oh my gosh! I get it now! You're rich aren't you?!"

Nobel winced, "Not really... C-can we not talk about it."

Paxton squeezed her hand under the table and she gave him an appreciative smile. "Are you two together?" Mystic asked suddenly, eyeing them suspiciously.

At that, all eyes at the table focused on them. "N-no," Nobel exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her in a frantic manor, her face beet red. "It's nothing like that! Honestly!"

"Mmhmm," Unknown Girl #2 nodded her head slowly, obviously unconvinced.

"More importantly," Paxton said, a slight blush dancing on his cheeks. "Who are all of you people?!"

"Oh," Ruby giggled nervously. "I guess I forgot to do introductions..."

She then proceeded to introduce everyone. Unknown Girl #1 with cute spiky pink hair and big baby blue eyes was Annie Eve and her Meister was Miss Glum with dark hair and dark brown, almost black eyes was Kale Phoenix, a new student. Unknown Girl #2 was Bridget McNealy with dark brown hair pulled up into a ponytail and lime green eyes. The boy next to Paxton was Bridget's Weapon, Skye Blackwell. And of course, there was Mystic, Isaac, and Ken.

Nobel and Paxton looked at the people sitting at their table. "Why are you sitting here?" Nobel ventured.

Ruby smiled, "You and Paxton are always alone and I thought maybe you'd want some friends. Of course, Blast and Nemu are usually with us..."

That's when it hit Nobel. These people were Shibusen's most popular students. She had forgotten Ruby, Zach, Blast and Nemu were in that group. The brunette Meister shifted nervously in her seat, a small blush dusting her cheeks. "I'm not really used to having many friends," she admitted shyly.

"Oh my god!" Mystic squealed before glomping Nobel. "You are too adorable! And I thought Annie was cute!"

Annie mock gasped, "I'm cute!"

Mystic rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but you have to admit Nobel is downright friggin' adorable."

Nobel's blush deepened, "I'm not that cute."

The shingami nuzzled Nobel like a cat, "Yes, you are."

Annie and Ruby clasped hands, sparkles dancing in their eyes. "You are so cute, Nobel-chan!"

"Are they always like this?" Paxton whispered to the guys and Bridget. They all nodded.

"It's official!" Ruby exclaimed suddenly. "We are taking Nobel-chan shopping!"

"Wh-what?!" Nobel questioned, still trapped by Mystic's death hug.

Annie nodded, "We are going to make you absolutely adorabler!"

"That's not a word," Kale input quietly.

Everyone snapped their heads around to look at her. "She speaks!" Ken threw his hands into the air. "Dammit, I owe you fifty bucks, Skye."

Skye smirked, "Pay up!"

Isaac glared at his partner, "You're betting our money?! What is we can't pay rent this month."

"But I thought I was for sure going to win this time," Ken mumbled, handing two twenties and a ten to a grinning Skye.

"What do you think you kids are doing?" a voice demanded.

Everyone slowly looked at the speaker. "Mister Machado!" Nobel squeaked as Mystic sheepishly released her.

The admittedly handsome teacher, Felipe Machado, glowered at them, "We're at war and you're acting like a bunch of children."

Everyone in the cafeteria fell silent. "This isn't a game that's won in a few turns," he said firmly. "It's not even a mission, do you understand that?"

The students all nodded. "With all due respect, sir," a voice cut through the submissive silence. "We haven't taken any action against the Witches. The city hasn't even been evacuated, yet. Are you sure this is really war?"

Nobel turned to see the boy who was talking. She froze; Audris Moriarty. He was actually her rival. They were both tied for everything; they had the same grade and placement in the class, the same amount of souls, the same everything. And as much as she hated to admit it, she didn't like him n the slightest bit. She didn't hate him. No, there was only person in the world she truly hated. She had a very strong dislike for him though. His last name just made it so much more ironic.

He winked at her and she was aware of Paxton glaring at him next to her. His partner, the sweet and silent Sarin, continued to eat her food like Audris wasn't making an complete and total fool of himself. Nobel sighed and smirked at him. His cocky grin faltered. "Who's to say we're not taking action against them?" Nobel questioned him directly. "We're just students; the higher ups can handle it for now. Can't they?"

He glared at her and she glared back. "That's enough you two," Felipe said, stepping between them to block their view of one another. He bent down to Paxton and Nobel's table. "I was actually sent here to retrieve Nobel, Paxton, Ruby, Zach, Isaac, and Ken. Oh, and Mystic, too; we found someone who might be compatible with you."

Mystic beamed as the summoned students stood up. While walking out, Nobel stuck her tongue out at Audris who did the same action.

* * *

Lord Death the Kidd looked at his daughter, then gestured to the all black figure behind him. "Archangel, this is my daughter, Mystic. Mystic, this is Archangel..."

He realized that the two of them were staring at each other and completely zoning him out, so he backed away. Archangel stuck out a hand, "Name's Archangel."

She gripped his hand, "Mystic."

"Are you two compatible?" Blast asked, sounding a little nervous.

Mystic smiled, "Let's see."

She was enveloped in a bright light before a machine gun was left in the place of where she had been. "Yup!" Archangel and Mystic announced simultaneously.

Nobel looked around as Mystic shifted back. Most of the staff was there along with Blast, who was using a crutch, and Nemu, who kept looking over at her Meister worriedly. The brunette focused her gaze on the school's leader, "What did you need us for, sir?"

The Shingami shifted slightly, "Have you ever heard of Spartoi?"

"The Elite student of Shibusen. The group was created during the time of the Kishin, Asura. Correct?" Nobel answered.

She saw Maka, who was standing a little bit to the side, nod. Lord Kidd bobbed his head, "Now that we are at war with the Witches again., we have made the decision to reemploy Spartoi, created from the smartest, most Elite of the students. You can walk away now, if you want."

No one moved. Lord Kidd smiled, "Good. From this point on, you will receive special training, given by each of your teachers. You will also go on missions given to you and when the time comes." He made eye contact with each of the students. "You will fight with us on the front lines against the Witches."

* * *

**Merry Christmas, everyone! Here's your present. All I want for a Christmas is a lot of reviews; a lot of reviews. ^_^**


	7. Chapter 6: Falling Inside the Black

_**You can't escape it...**_

_Nobel looked around frantically, realizing she was in complete darkness. __**It will follow you for the rest of your life...**_

"_What are you talking about?"_

_**You know there's a darkness in you...**_

_Nobel's hands clenched into fists. "Leave me alone!" she shouted into the black._

_**How can I leave you alone when you're so interesting? I wonder how the madness would affect your already fragile soul. Hmm...**_

_She crouched down, throwing her hands over her ears. "No, I've kept it a bay this long. I'll keep it away."_

_**How are you so sure? Things are changing, little miss Nobel**_

"_Shut up!" she screamed. "I won't give in!"_

_**You're already surrounded by darkness, why not give into it? **_

_The brunette threw open her hand, white flames erupting from her palm. It circled her, flickering brightly. "I will keep the Madness at bay, it won't pass my barrier._

_**Tch, troublesome girl. You just need a little push.**_

Nobel jolted up, breathing heavily. The candles near her bed flared up as she tried to calm her heartbeat. She clutched her head as pain rushed through her skull, momentarily blinding her. After a moment, the candles returned to a slight flicker and the pain vanished. She ran a hand through her hair while she took in deep, measured breaths.

"Hey, you okay?" her roommate asked softly.

Nobel glanced over at Sarin Niemand and nodded. How she ended up with her rival's Weapon, she didn't know. Sarin was sweet, though, and rarely bothered her. "I-I'm fine," Nobel replied quietly. "Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

Sarin watched her for a moment with her light green eyes glowing in the candle light before she nodded and flipped over. Nobel climbed out of bed, "I'm just going to splash some cold water on my face."

Sarin barely nodded before pulling the cover up. After a deep breath, Nobel made her way to the bathroom.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Okay, listen up!"

All of the Meisters on the Spartoi team looked down at the blue-haired teacher yelling at them, known as Black Star. "Kidd thinks you're all getting too reliant on your Weapons, which is why we are going to review your hand-to-hand skills. One on one matches. You win your match, you move onto he next one. Got it?!"

Everyone gave their affirmations. "Remember," Maka Albarn said, walking up to stand next to her friend. "We are seeing your limit today. You can forfeit if you start becoming exhausted or become injured. First up, we have Ruby and Nobel."

The two selected girls got up and made their way to the floor. "Good luck," Maka whispered to Nobel as she walked by.

"You ready for this?" Ruby questioned her brunette opponent.

Nobel nodded and took off her black hoodie, throwing it to the side. She knew this would be a good opportunity to vent some frustration out. On the wall nearby, the bell dinged.

Ruby slid into a fighting stance as did Nobel. For a moment, they just watched each other.

"Who do you think will win?" Maka asked the elegant woman standing next to her.

Kyoko Hayata, the current combat teacher, looked over at her colleague. "Believe it or not," she started. "Ruby is a very good fighter; she's incredibly quick, but she unfortunately has a slightly slow reaction time to make up for that."

"And Nobel?" Black Star questioned.

"Nobel's weakness is without a doubt her humanity."

"What do you mean?" the ash blonde asked.

"She's too caring and sometimes becomes reluctant in dealing the last blow. Don't get me wrong, she's pretty good. She has a quick reaction time, had previous acrobatic training, is strong, and a great martial artist."

Black Star raised an eyebrow, "What about her soul control?"

"Impossibly advanced for someone her age. She's only been training her at the DWMA for two years, but she must have had prior training."

Ruby launched herself at Nobel with a tremendous amount of speed. "Stupid idea," Maka commented quietly. "She's exerting too much energy in her first move."

The two former Spartoi members expected Ruby to land a hit at the speed she was going. Maka's jaw dropped slightly as Nobel dodged the blow with ease, pivoting a full 360 degree turn. Ruby paused and spun to face her. Ruby then sprinted towards her opponent and began delivering quick blows, which Nobel dodged with calm ease, her hands clasped behind her back. Unexpectedly, Nobel lifted up her leg and kicked Ruby square in the stomach. The ruby eyed girl doubled over as Nobel dropped to the ground and connected her leg with back of Ruby's knees.

Ruby tripped, doing a backwards somersault to catch herself. She rose to her feet as the other Meisters stared in silent awe. Nobel stepped back as Ruby moved forward. The latter sped up and jumped intending to kick Nobel in the stomach. Nobel, however, did an unexpected back handspring, her foot connecting with Ruby's jaw. The midnight blue-haired girl also did a back handspring, landing slightly off balance. She rubbed her jaw, "That kind of hurt."

Nobel cringed, "Sorry."

"Nah," Ruby waved her hand dismissively. "You're pretty good."

The brunette blushed slightly, "I'm not that good."

"I was the best martial artist in my dojo," Ruby said. "You're pretty good, but not good enough."

Nobel grabbed an arm that was about to touch her and flipped them over her. Ruby cringed on impact when she crashed against the ground."Her reaction time is amazing," Black Star said, sounding slightly awed. "Do you think it's possible that she has-"

"ASP," Maka confirmed.

"ASP?" Kyoko glanced at the two Meisters.

"Advanced Soul Perception," Maka explained. "It's possible that Nobel senses souls at a faster frequency."

Ruby jumped up quickly, spinning and landing a solid punch on Nobel's shoulder. Nobel flinched before grabbing Ruby's arm and twisting it behind her back. The brunette then tripped her and they ended up on the ground, Ruby on the bottom with her arms pinned behind her back and tied with ribbon.

"Where'd she get the ribbon come from?" Maka questioned. "They emptied their pockets before we started."

"She doesn't just keep it tied in her hair for decoration," Kyoko smiled at her student. "There's a reason why Nobel is so highly ranked among the one star meisters. She's kind of the like the you of this generation, Maka, with a better temper."

"What was that?" Maka snapped her head around to look at the teacher.

"Nothing!" Kyoko chirped while Black Star laughed behind his hand.

"Nobel Holmes, winner," Kyoko announced.

The winning Meister untied her friend and they both stood up. Ruby hugged Nobel, "That was so much fun! We should spar more often."

"See, Nobel didn't deal a final blow. Instead, she restrained her opponent. With Kishins, it's easy to kill them because they lack any true intelligence or morals," Kyoko glanced down at Nobel who was drinking some water. "Witches, however..."

Maka nodded, "Unlike Kishin, Witches have morals- even if they're not quite what most people morals are."

Kyoko nodded, "I'm afraid that when the time comes, Nobel may be unable to kill a Witch."

Maka looked down at the two girls, "Is that her only weakness?"

Kyoko shook her head, "No, she also has a very low energy level because of her suppression."

"Suppression?"

The teacher nodded, "I'll explain in a moment. First, next up, Blast."

Blast stood up lazily and a small smile passed Maka's face. "Be honest," the scythe Meister said. "Who's most likely to win?"

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "Blast is excellent in hand-to-hand combat. His reaction time, impeccable. He's also extremely strong. However, Blast lacks in the tactics division. He does not usually decide on the best course of action and instead chooses to do the first thing that comes to mind."

Nobel smiled at Blast and he grinned back. The bell dinged. Everyone's eyes widened slightly in surprise when Nobel made the first move. She lifted her fist to punch Blast, who ducked to dodge, only to be met with a knee in the face. He jumped back, wiping the small drizzle of blood from his nose. Nobel mouthed a "sorry" to him. He smirked, racing towards her and slamming into her. They both went tumbling and would've hit the wall if they didn't use their hands to stop the impact. She pushed herself up, wincing. Blast followed lead while he gritted his teeth.

The former placed a hand over her side, letting her fingers move slowly over the area. "What's she doing?" Maka questioned.

"Assessing the damage. Rana's been helping her with some medical studies," Kyoko explained.

Blast smirked and rushed towards her. Nobel's paused in her check over to step to the side. Blast threw several punches at her with tremendous speed, which she in turn dodged. Black Star chuckled, "If he lands a single punch, she'll be out. I taught him my strength techniques."

"You taught my son that?!" Maka shrieked and Blast looked up at the commotion, pausing in his blows.

It wasn't more than a second, but it was enough time for Nobel. She reeled back her fist and delivered a hard blow to the side of Blast's face. He soared across the room, falling into a heap on the other side. Kyoko smirked, "And Rana taught Nobel her's."

"Rana does quite a hook..." Black Star replied softly.

"Papa knows that better than anyone..." Maka added as they both sweat dropped. The Meister looked at Kyoko. "Rana and Nobel seem very close."

The teacher nodded, "They are. Rana was the first person to truly accept Nobel. Even I was a bit wary of her when she showed up..."

"Why?" Black Star questioned.

"You don't know?" she questioned, sounding surprised. "Nobel's half-witch. Do you remember Helen Eller?"

"Yeah, she and Greg got married."

"Helen was a Witch," Kyoko said softly. "Even after the treaty was made, the tensions still ran high and Helen eventually left Greg with their only child, a young girl."

"Nobel..." Maka confirmed.

"Yep. Two years after that, Greg disappeared. You guys haven't really spent much time here since you graduated, so I don't really blame you for not knowing, but all of the teachers have been made aware. We keep an eye on her; the only student that knows is Paxton and he only found out last week. Nobel... She doesn't know any of this though, who her parents are. Helen was later revealed to have been helping Medusa with creating the Black Blood. Marie was sent to look for her just a few weeks ago. Well, for Helen and the previous team that went searching for her. The suppression I mentioned earlier was Nobel's Witch suppression. It works a bit like Soul Protect, only Stein designed it. It pretty much hides away the Witch portion of her genetics, it unfortunately does not suppress her Witch-like soul."

"Does it store her Witch portion away completely?" Black Star questioned.

"There are times when Nobel's power will flare up slightly, but only when she feels she in a dangerous situation or very, very angry- something I have only seen once. Other than that, Stein's procedure does a relatively good job at suppressing her Witch abilities."

"Who was last sent to look for Helen?" Maka questioned.

"Beatrix."

Both of them blinked. "The Divine Trix? When was she here?"

"A few months ago, she went to search for Helen last month after the first sighting in nearly thirteen years."

"A month? She's been missing for a while now, don't you think?"

Kyoko looked down at Nobel and Blast, who were still delivering punches between each other. "She has. Her son misses her terribly."

"Wait," Black Star held up a hand. "Back up. Son?"

She nodded, "Her adopted son, Casimir. She found him on a mission, his parents had been killed by a Kishin. Remarkable child; smart, quiet, sweet."

"I never really pegged Trix as a kid type," Maka speculated, a small smile dancing on her lips.

They all looked back down as Nobel brought her clamped fists down on Blast's back, effectively knocking the air out of his lungs. He stumbled away, flopping down onto the mat. "Winner: Nobel!" Black Star announced. "Next up, Isaac."

Maka looked at Kyoko, who rolled her eyes playfully. "Isaac is a pegged genius; he uses amazing tactics and can come up with a dozen moves in less the a second."

"But?"

"He is one of the weakest fighters. If he put the effort, he could quite easily be the best in Shibusen, but he prefers to be lazy."

Isaac blinked his eyes, boredom obvious on his face. "I give up," he told the three adults.

"What?" Black Star questioned.

"I give up. Nobel is obviously stronger than me and despite the fact that I've come up with nearly two dozen ways to overpower her, she would still end up winning against every one. Therefore, I give up."

Maka raised and eyebrow and Kyoko laughed nervously. "He also does that. I guess it prevents injuries and exertion, but it makes him a bit of a pessimist and difficult to train," she explained.

Black Star shook his head, "Okay, Archangel. Your turn, show us what you've got."

Archangel stood up, his hood still shielding his face. When he reached the floor, both he and Nobel slid into their positions. The bell dinged and this time, Nobel waited for Archangel to make the first move. Suddenly, Archangel was behind her, swinging a fist at her. She ducked and attempted to sweep his leg out from under him, but he jumped over her leg. She somersaulted backwards before falling into a handstand. The two faced off each other and Nobel swung back, flipping through the air as Archangel swung up a leg to kick her.

She stopped suddenly, landing on her feet. She jumped up, attempting to bring a side kick up to his face. He caught her leg and she used the momentum to bring her other leg up. He let go of her, ducking and she flipped backwards. Archangel reappeared behind her again and this time, she grabbed his arm. In one swift movement, she flipped him over her shoulder. He landed on his feet, flipping her over him.

Unlike him, Nobel didn't land on her feet. She instead slipped under his legs and forced him to let go. Then, she flipped herself up, slamming her foot into Archangel's back. He stumbled and she used the force to flip to the other side, landing perfectly.

"They're perfectly matched, but Nobel's energy is going to give out soon. Fighting three different people in a row is probably taking a bit of a toll on her." Kyoko said.

"It's like they're dancing," Ruby exclaimed.

Archangel swung towards Nobel and she placed her hand on his arm and flipped over it. He brought up his leg and she met it with her arm, curling her fingers around his ankle. She pushed him back and dropped tot he ground, driving her feet into his stomach. He gasped and reached for her. She twirled away, but grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back. In a swift movement, she tripped him, but he also sneaked his leg around hers. They both fell and he rolled on top of her.

He smirked, pinning her arms down. She smiled, "I give. I'm a little tired from my earlier fights."

Archangel glared at her, "You aren't going to fight?"

"Nah."

"You're stopping because you're tired?"

She nodded, "Yeah."

With a surprising amount of strength, she pushed him off her and flipped up to her feet. Archangel blinked at her as she held out a hand. "Good fight," she offered.

He "harrumphed" and walked away. Nobel stared at him, confusion evident on her face. "What's his deal?" Ruby asked, bouncing down to stand next to her friend. "It's not like you pounded his face in."

Black Star walked up, shaking his head. He looked over at Nobel, "You're pretty good kid; not as good as me of course."

A book came out of nowhere, slamming into the blunette's head. He fell unconscious and Maka stood behind him, holding up a hard cover novel. She smiled at Nobel, "You were great."

Nobel turned bright red, "T-thank you, Maka-sama."

The Meister nodded, "Maybe you and I could do some one on one training some time; I'd love to show you some new techniques."

The brunette bowed deeply, still blushing. "I would be honored!"

When she straightened up, she swayed a bit and Kyoko wrapped a steady hand around her arm. Nobel blinked and smiled appreciatively at her teacher. Kyoko leaned down. "Did you remember to take your medication?" she whispered into her ear.

The younger girl nodded, "I'm fine Miss Kyoko. I just need to eat."

Kyoko still seemed worried, but she nodded. "Lunch break then. I don't know if the Weapons are done. They are with Patti after all..."

Everyone in the room sweat-dropped. Patti was the toughest teacher at the DWMA. "If they're not, we can just watch them," Blast suggested.

Nobel nodded, "Sounds like a plan. If you see Paxton say I'll see in a bit."

"Where are you going?" Ruby asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I just need to check something with Rana," Nobel explained, spinning on her heel. She looked back, "I'll see you in a bit."

She walked over the stands and picked up her red messenger bag, slinging it on her shoulder. "You need to eat, though!" Kyoko yelled.

Nobel spun and walked backwards, holding up a protein bar. She tore it open then bit into it. Kyoko sighed, but smiled. The brunette girl resumed walking normally.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Professor Stein?" Nobel wondered out loud when she saw the mad scientist sitting on his wheeled chair in the nurse's office.

He looked up, his glasses glinting, "Ah, Nobel. How's my favorite experiment?"

Nobel shifted, blushing slightly. "D-don't say it like that."

He chuckled, "Of course. If you're looking for Rana, she'll be out for a bit."

"Actually..." Nobel said, stepping into the room and shutting the door. "It's good that you're here. It's about my... Problem."

Stein raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong? Has the suppression worn off?"

She shook her head, "It's not that. It's just the... Dream. I'm starting to have it again."

He leaned forward in his chair, "How long has it been since It came back?"

"Last week, right after our encounter with the Witch," she replied, albeit uncertainly.

She was more worried about it than her face betrayed. The dream had haunted her as a child, following her all the way to the DWMA until she met Stein and he suppressed her Witch half. The fact that it was back after two years frightened her. What if it meant the suppression was wearing off? It was obvious she wasn't in control of her magical ability, she had only had it for a few years before joining Shibusen.

The gray haired man leaned forward, breathing out, "Maybe the Witch triggered something. A suppressed memory perhaps?"

"I-I don't think that's it," Nobel answered.

He shrugged, "I'm beat then. You aren't having any problems sleeping, right?"

She shook her head, "No, I still have some sleeping pills."

"Good, I'm going to whip up something that will hopefully stop you from having the dream."

Nobel smiled, "Thank-you, sir. Have you heard anything from Miss Marie?"

A flash of sadness appeared in his eyes as he took a long drag from his cigarette. "No," he replied quietly. "I'm thinking of going after her."

"But, you can't, sir!"

Stein's head snapped up, surprise blatant on his face. Nobel rarely raised her voice. She looked at him with hard determination, "Miss Marie would want you to stay here with Cassie and Connor. If they were to lose both of you..."

He broke out laughed, "You're right."

She flushed red, "W-why are you laughing at me?"

"No," he said in between laughs. "It's just you sounded so much like my Marie I couldn't believe it."

Nobel blinked blankly before smiling. She was happy that Stein seemed a bit more upbeat. Everybody needed a bit of happiness in this time of war.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Scorpio sighed as she leaned back in her chair. The Witch next to her frowned slightly. "Are we ready to begin, Onyx?" Scorpio questioned her.

The Witch smirked, "It's ready."

Scorpio nodded and turned to the small boy sitting at her feet, his eyes empty. "Another failure," she hummed. "This one will be different though. She'll be able to handle it."

"What makes you so sure?" Onyx questioned.

The blonde Witch smiled sadistically, "She's already controlling her Madness.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Yay! New update. Woot, woot! Happy New Years everyone!**


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